


War Chronicles

by amuk



Category: Naruto
Genre: Death, Friendship, Gen, Healing, Hurt/Comfort, Loss, Romance, Team Bonding, Team Dynamics, War
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-01-27
Updated: 2013-01-27
Packaged: 2017-11-27 04:52:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/658202
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/amuk/pseuds/amuk
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Minato, Kakashi, Rin, and Obito are a team. A team faced with war, blood, and death, things that should never be seen. But as their story writes out, they still have time to have sunny picnics and fire side talks.</p>
            </blockquote>





	War Chronicles

**Author's Note:**

> Prompts: Kakashi, Minato, war, picnics, death, love

**i.**

 

“What do you think of Kakashi?” Obito turned to his brown-haired teammate, surprised by the question.

 

Or rather, surprised that Rin had decided to talk to him. It isn’t a secret that she didn’t like him very much, always hitting him or yelling at him. Whenever they ended up alone together, like now, she’d ignore him, doing whatever duties she had left until Kakashi and Minato returned.

 

Instead, today, she actually was the one to start the conversation.

 

“I…” Obito paused. He could very well yell that Kakashi was a stuck-up jerk, or heartless, or any of the other things he always said publicly. However, Rin had heard him say those things hundreds of times before and something told him to think deeper. He might never get the chance to talk to her seriously like this again.

 

(She might never try to talk to him again. It’s best to leave a good impression.)

 

“I think he’s lonely,” the Uchiha continued, slowly saying each word, taking the time to think each on through, “I think he’s messed up and needs to realize that it’s ok to be a kid. That he doesn’t need to be the best at everything.”

 

The healer turned to look at him, her eyes surprised. Obito flushed when her eyes softened and she started to giggle softly, covering her mouth with a hand.

 

“I’m—heh—sorry about laughing, Obito,” she replied, trying to contain her laughter, “It’s just that this is the first time you ever were serious about what you said, first time you thought before you spoke, and I thought you were joking. And your face while you were speaking…”

 

“My face?”

 

“Well…” she turned a little red, “Nothing.”

 

“What was it?”

 

“No, really, nothing!”

 

“I’ll bug you until you tell me.”

 

“…I won’t heal you.”

 

“…” Obito paused, considering this. Minato-sensei would never let that happen, right?

 

Actually, he could. Minato was known for taking a girl’s side.

 

Frowning, the dark-haired boy turned back to his work, which was tending the fire and roasting the food that the team had caught earlier.

 

“You know,” Rin finally spoke after about half an hour of silence, “I agree with your thoughts.”

 

“Eh?”

 

“Well, you’re right about Kakashi. He really needs to take better care of himself,” she sighed, staring into the fire. The flames lit the hollows of her face, making her look older and wiser. They remained silent for a moment after this and Obito realized this might be his last chance to grab her attention.

 

“Why don’t we both try to help him with that, then?” Obito grinned to her. She was sitting across from him and he quickly threw a cooked fish to her. She grabbed it quickly, careful not to touch the hot meat, and looked back at him.

 

“Really? Well,” she gave a soft smile, “That would be a good idea. We’ll do it together, then.”

 

Obito just gave a smile, taking another cooked fish. “Then let’s seal it with the fish.”

 

“Fish? Obito,” Rin sighed. Looking up through the fire at him, she flushed again.

 

Her teammate could look hot sometimes, when he was serious like that.

 

**ii.**

 

“Minato-sensei,” Rin spoke, healing her grey-haired teammate, “Are you sure that this training you are giving is—”

 

 

“I can handle it, Rin,” Kakashi interrupted her, before brushing her hands off him and standing up.

 

“I have to finish—”

 

“I’m healed enough,” he cut in again, before turning to their Hokage and teacher, “I can keep going.”

 

“…” Obito watched this from the side. It happened a lot, now that he thought about it. Rin would help Kakashi and Kakashi would always stop her before she was finished, trying to get more training done. Usually Minato would approve, and the cycle would continue.

 

“Today, I have other plans,” Minato finally spoke, his voice low. The gennin looked at him in surprise, for this was a twist in their usual ritual.

 

“Today, we are going to have a picnic.”

 

“What?” Kakashi asked, shocked. “That isn’t going to help us. It’s a waste of time and effort—”

 

“Everyone needs to unwind every now and then. We’ve been training a lot and I’ve decided we are taking a break today.”

 

“But—”

 

“Kakashi, do you want me to make the break longer than a day? Because I can and will if you force me to.”

 

“…” sullen, the boy remained quiet.

 

“Good. Now, Rin, I trust you packed the food earlier?”

 

The girl beamed and quickly disappeared into the forest nearby. In a few moments, she reappeared, holding a wooden basket with a checkered cloth on the handle.

 

“Thank you, Rin,” Minato gave her a smile and ruffled her hair as he picked up the basket. “Follow me.” Immediately, he jumped into the trees and started to run.

 

“Rin,” Obito asked as they followed, “Did you know about this?”

 

Kakashi turned to look at her, his eyes scrutinizing her.

 

“…” the girl looked away. “I knew that he wanted to take a break and Minato-sensei told me to pack some food, giving me a list of your favourite foods…”

 

Kakashi snorted in disgust, running faster and making the distance widen between them.

 

“He’s angry, isn’t he,” Rin forlornly stated, looking down.

 

“Nah, he’s just…acting like himself,” Obito found himself saying. Why was he standing up for Kakashi? Because that would make Rin happy. If Rin is happy, then Obito is happy.

 

Why?

 

It was just a fact, not needing to be analyzed or deeply checked. It just was there.

 

“Besides, he’ll be able to train better tomorrow. He’ll thank you in that stand-offish way of his. He’ll probably let you heal him completely.”

 

“Think so?” Rin doubtfully replied.

 

“Besides, wasn’t this part of our plan? Making Kakashi realize that he shouldn’t be a jerk and such?”

 

“…” Rin turned to smile at Obito, “Thanks, Obito. You’re right.”

 

“Aren’t I always?” he grinned and Rin smacked his head.

 

“Obito!” she growled before speeding up.

 

The boy just smiled. Rin was feeling better already.

 

**iii.**

 

Minato was someone with a valley of knowledge. He knew everything, the gennin cell felt. He knew about history from since the beginning of time, knew about all sorts of ninja moves, and was just plain intelligent.

 

However, there wasn’t a question that Minato could answer.

 

“Why is there a war?”

 

“I could tell you this is because of political tensions,” the blond Hokage finally replied. “I could tell you that it is because different powerful nations that want control and dominance, to show that they are the strongest, to show that they can control many. I could tell you it was because people are proud and believe that their village is the best and want to show that to everyone. I could tell you that it is because of small mistakes on a path, mistakes that made people take the wrong turn and start this. I could tell you all of this and this would be true.”

 

Kakashi remained silent, taking this all in. Rin and Obito glanced at each other before they finally asked, “But?”

 

“I won’t tell you this because that is what everyone will say. That is what will be recorded in the textbooks. History is written by the winners, so there might be other reasons that will be created.”

 

“What will you tell us then?”

 

“War has no reason. War is just created. However, we are in this war because we want to have a world without war, or at least a world where people don’t have to hide from every little noise because they fear that they will be killed. We are going to win this so that those we love won’t get hurt. War might not have a reason for its existence but it does have one for its death. We are going to kill that cycle of blood and death, because that is what is left after. Do you understand what I am trying to tell you?”

 

They all nodded, not fully understanding for their eyes were still innocent and naïve, but realizing that they might understand soon enough.

 

Minato didn’t have an answer for that question, but his response seemed like a better explanation than others.

 

**iv.**

 

Obito knew many things about Rin. He knew that she always over-used her energy whenever she tried to heal her comrades. She’d work late into the night in the hospital whenever they had a day off—every healer was needed—and she’d always try her best to save the broken bodies that appeared without fail every hour.

 

He also knew that she’d curl up a little and let a tear fall whenever someone died. Then she’d paste a hard expression on her face and work on the next body. If she couldn’t save this one, then maybe the next one or the one after could be rescued.

 

(She’d visit their graves, lilies in her hand and apologizes from her mouth.)

 

Obito hated it to see her sad. It always gave him an uncomfortable feeling.

 

He knew that she loved to eat dango on her time off and hated ramen. He knew her favourite colour was a pale shade of purple and her second favourite was a silvery-grey. She wore dresses on her days off, when she couldn’t help anyone, because she wanted to have some semblance to the normal life some of the girls in the village enjoyed. She also never wore them enough so every time she did put one on, it looked as though it was the first time. Rin hated the colours red and black and loved petting stray dogs.

 

Obito also knew that she had a crush on Kakashi. She would look at him shyly, give him an extra serving whenever they had their picnics, or even just check if he was ok after a battle before looking at everyone else. Rin gave him soft smiles and worried looks, gave him little bits and pieces of her until Obito knew that it was no longer just a crush but a fledgling, tentative love.

 

Of course, Kakashi never seemed to realize her advances. He didn’t know that the ointment she was putting on his arms was the product of her working late into the night the day before. He didn’t realize she’d wake up extra early to cook their meals or she’d try her best to learn better healing techniques so she could help him.

 

This was where Obito had hope. If Kakashi didn’t realize Rin’s feelings, then maybe Obito still had a chance. Maybe he still could pull her out from his feet, showing her that he wasn’t just a joker or a slacker.

 

It wasn’t quite yet love, but he was getting there. She’d appear in his dreams, her eyes soft and her smile just for him. Of course it had to be a dream because she rarely did that for anyone but Kakashi, but it felt nice and something fluttered in his stomach whenever he saw her brown eyes.

 

Obito thinks that his feelings are at that stage between friendship love and romantic love. He could at any moment pull back and go back to being friend and brother.

 

He won’t, though.

 

Everyone needs someone to love them. Kakashi never seems to realize it, but he does and he probably would die if he didn’t receive any. Rin kept giving and giving, without getting anything back. She probably thought she could survive until he gave her some sign of affection.

 

Of course, Obito knew better. Kakashi would take a long time to even realize those feelings existed. And when Rin realized that Kakashi was oblivious and not interested, she’d fall.

 

Fall hard and fast.

 

Obito loved Rin because she was kind and was a good cook. She always knew what to say, where to heal, and smiled at him, even when she was angry. She loved him—in a family way, at least—and that was more than his clan, the prestigious clan that was cold and shallow, ever did.

 

Most of all, Obito loved Rin because when she fell, he wanted to cushion it and show her that she wasn’t alone.

 

If no one else, at least _he_ loved her.

 

**v.**

 

Kakashi was slowly changing, Rin noticed one day. He was a little kinder. Or maybe just less harsh.

 

Today when she healed him from their mission, she was able to completely get rid of the wound. Instead of pushing her hands away from him roughly, he let them stay on a little longer and then asked if she was finished.

 

He also was able to stand their picnics, even complimenting her cooking (and she felt a blush rise up because maybe if he liked her cooking, he could slowly grow to like her and then maybeeven _love_ her) and reminding them when they skipped one.

 

If nothing else, her maybe-more-than-a-crush was less cold and more approachable than before.

 

Obito also has changed, she realized while healing his wounds. The Uchiha was no longer covered in wounds, with only smaller ones. His fighting skills improved.

 

There was something else about him that changed. Something she couldn’t quite tell. His eyes were a little harder, his grin a little sharper. He looked more mature some times, his cheekbones becoming more defined and his entire being screaming _hot!_ He was handsome, to say the least.

 

(Rin blushed when she saw him shirtless and standing in front of her, thanking her for healing him. Her stomach fluttered lightly when he gave her a quick hug.

 

That was a bad thing. That meant that she might end up liking Obito more and more until it wasn’t just the nearly-friendship they had now.)

 

What Rin failed to notice was her own changes.

 

**vi.**

 

With war comes death. That was understood by every ninja. It had to be, because some of those that went out would never come back again. Every minute living was precious, every breath taken could be their last, and if they could, they’d never fight again.

 

However, they had to because of the loved ones left behind. The wounded ones that can’t keep going. The young ones that they didn’t want to grow up to a bloody sky.

 

Death was something expected.

 

However, Obito didn’t expect that he’d die so soon. Trapped in the rocks, he wondered how come death wasn’t as quick and painless as they were lead to believe.

 

Instead, death was gasping breaths and brokencrushed _destroyed_ pieces of the body slowly giving up. His eyes were slowly losing colour, all colours fading into one.

 

At the very least, Kakashi was alive. Minato-sensei was alive.

 

 _Rin_ was alive. That last bit was the most important part.

 

As he started to close his eye (for he didn’t mind giving one up to Kakashi. Kakashi could probably use it better than he could, use it to save Rin and keep her alive where Obito no longer can. Besides, what was one more pain to the hundreds that attacked his body at once? Nothing at the very least when he was lying,) and was slowly disappearing from the world. He couldn’t feel his legs at all, his arms were slowly going numb, and he realized that this was what death was.

 

It wasn’t anything special or something to be scared of, like everyone thought.

 

It was just like sleeping, except the knowledge that you won’t wake up was there. It was like taking an eraser and slowly scrubbing away at everything he was and could ever be.

 

It was something he resigned himself to. He only had one regret, though.

 

 Obito wished he could have told Rin how he felt about her.

 

**vii.**

 

Rin screamed while she was being taken away from her last line to her world. Kakashi wasn’t able to come and save her like he always tried to. Instead, she was leaving the last things that proved her existence as Rin.

 

She never got to tell Kakashi she loved him. That itself was disappointing, for she’s been loving him since day one and…

 

Kakashi was going to go back to square one after this. That was her biggest fear. She was probably going to die or have something worse happen to her, and that was something she understood and accepted. She could do nothing about it.

 

Kakashi, though, was going to lose everyone he knew again and just when he was starting to trust people. Minato-sensei might not be enough to save him from the darkness that will cover him.

 

And Obito…

 

He was a brother to her, in some ways, and in others she wondered what it’d be like to kiss him, to hold him, to be loved.

 

She knew she loved Kakashi. That itself was true and pure and would never die. Sometimes, though, it was hard doing all of the loving and wishing for some return. Sometimes, when she saw how Obito looked at her, she wondered what it’d be like to just turn around and return those feelings. To get presents on her birthday and not be alone on Valentines Day and White Day.

 

Rin could never do that to Obito, though, because she wasn’t fully sure if she could love him and didn’t want to hurt him.

 

Now, though, she thinks she could have loved him.

 

It was too late for wanting anything, though, as a hand hit the back of her neck and rendered her unconscious.

 

**viii.**

 

Kakashi visits their memorial everyday. He spends hours there in the morning, staring at the rock that contains the name of his sensei and teammates. He remembers their days together, the days spent under black skies and red stars. When the ground was bathed with blood and the clearings littered with bodies. He remembers the war and how many died because of it.

 

He also remembers their picnics, when Rin would bashfully gave him a bento and when Obito would yell at him. He remembered those days when Minato would try to teach him about teammates.

 

He wishes he hadn’t been so blind. That he had realized that Rin loved him—only time and experience makes him see what he didn’t see back then—and that Obito wasn’t a piece of trash to be ignored.

 

He wishes he could have helped them better, protected them, saved them. He wishes it wasn’t too late.

 

Sometimes, he thinks he’s forgiven. He can feel ghostly fingers holding his hands, a soft breeze ruffling his hair, and a light punch on his shoulder. Unbidden, his eyes soften and go slightly watery, before he straightens up and leaves to meet his new team.

 

He might have let one down, but he won’t let down the next bunch.

 


End file.
